Birmingham vs Southampton prediction, H2H and probable lineups - December 29, 2025
One of the key clashes of the 24th round in the Championship will take place on Monday at St Andrew’s in Birmingham, where the home side Birmingham City will take on Southampton. I’m offering a bet on the outcome of this encounter, which looks to have solid chances of success.
Match preview
Birmingham are going through a rough patch - five consecutive matches without a win, three of which ended in defeat. The latest draw against Derby County was particularly painful, as Birmingham completely dominated (25 shots and 3.23 xG) but once again their finishing let them down.
Squad issues are adding to their woes: captain and key defender Kristof Klarer is suspended for this match, while Demarai Gray - the club’s second top scorer and leading assist provider - is sidelined through injury. Defender Alex Cochrane and midfielder Thomas Doyle (both suspended) remain unavailable as well. Despite these setbacks, Birmingham’s attacking numbers remain high - they’re in the Championship’s top five for xG - but their conversion rate is consistently poor.
Tonda Eckert made a flying start at Southampton with six wins in his first seven games, but results have since taken a downturn. In the last few rounds, the Saints lost to Norwich (1-2) and Oxford (1-2), and drew with Coventry (1-1), where they squandered chances and were frequently exposed on the counter.
However, the squad is gradually getting back to full strength: Tom Fellows has returned and already featured against Coventry, while Shea Charles and Ross Stewart are nearing a comeback. Mads Roerslev is also on the road to recovery. The main concern remains Southampton’s away form - they’ve suffered three straight defeats on the road to relatively modest opponents. In 12 away matches, they’ve lost six and picked up just 12 points.
Probable lineups
- Birmingham: Beadle, Cashin, Robinson, Neumann, Iwata, Seung Ho, Leonard, Stansfield, Thor Vilhjálmsson, Roberts, Furuhashi
- Southampton: Bazunu, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Stephens, Fellows, Downes, Yander, Manning, Azaz, Shinzha, Armstrong
Match facts and head-to-head
- Both teams have scored in five of the last six meetings between Birmingham and Southampton.
- Five of the last six head-to-head encounters have produced at least three goals.
- Southampton won 3-1 against Birmingham in the first round this season.
Prediction
Both teams are facing certain difficulties, particularly when it comes to finishing and away consistency. Birmingham’s absences could be offset by Southampton’s shaky away form. It’s quite likely this match ends in a draw, in a closely-fought contest with few clear chances for either side.
